


The Bear

by Shaymed



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:20:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28884519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shaymed/pseuds/Shaymed
Kudos: 1





	The Bear

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Soule](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soule/gifts).



Grimory grinned up at his adoptive father as he pulled the string of the bow. It was roughly made, and he knew Kinalo had made it for him, since he was still too young to use a full-sized bow.

“Practice with that, and one day you can hunt with me.” The kaldorei smiled down at his son and ruffled his hair. “There’s a target behind the barn. Go have fun.”

“Thank you, father!” The quel’dorei hugged Kinalo, grabbed the quiver of arrows, and ran out the back door.

Grimory practiced until his fingers hurt. The next day he did the same. It was a mere two weeks when Kinalo was readying for a hunt and the small elf begged to go. The man sighed down at the boy and thought on it.

“Okay, but stay out of trouble, all right?”

Grimory nodded emphatically. “I promise!”

The elf laughed and set the boy in Tempest’s saddle, then climbed on behind him. They rode for a little under an hour, Toby, the pack horse, ambling along behind them. They reached an area where creatures went to drink from a stream that ran through the valley to reach the ocean. They hopped down and tied the horses to a low branch, then crept through the foliage to the edge of the trees.

“Make the shot count, because once one is hit they will all scatter,” Kinalo whispered. He nocked an arrow and waited, choosing his target. The horses behind them grunted and stamped their feet. A moment later, one whinnied in panic.

Grimory looked behind, his eyes wide. “Father!”

A bear had dug its claws into the hind end of the packhorse and dragged it to the ground. Toby pulled with his front hooves, trying to gain enough footing to stand and knock the weight of the bear from it. Kinalo spun, pulled back on the string, and loosed an arrow into the bear’s shoulder. It roared with anger and dropped from the horse. The beast roared again, then charged at the kaldorei.

Kinalo nocked another arrow and loosed it quickly, striking the creature in the other shoulder. It paused for just a moment, then growled, angrier than before. The next arrow, loosed too quickly, sailed past the angry bear to plant in the ground. The elf had another arrow ready to go when the massive paws reared up and knocked him onto his back.

Grimory shook in panic as the bear tore long gashes into his father’s limbs and torso. He nocked a quick arrow and pulled back as far as he could, losing the unaimed arrow. With a final growl it stumbled sideways and fell down, dead. The quel’dorei dropped his bow and scrambled to his father. Kinalo grunted as the boy shook him.

“Father?”

“Go. There’ll be more,” he said.

“Not without you.”

He grunted as Grimory pulled on him, using all his strength to get the larger man to roll over. “Stubborn little brat.” He chuckled.

Grimory grinned. “Just like you taught me.”

Kinalo waited as the boy brought Tempest over, then used all his strength to climb up into the saddle. The pack horse, unable to stand, was left behind as Grimory kicked the other into a swift trot, the night elf leaning at his back, threatening to fall off if the horse went too fast..

Covered in his father’s blood, he arrived at the farm, shouting for his mother. Runi burst through the front door at the frantic cries from the boy.

“What happened?” she cried out as she urged her husband down, supporting his weight on her shoulders.

“A bear got Toby!” He jumped down to help get Kinalo inside and laid out on the kitchen table. “Father shot it and it came for him.”

Runi grabbed her son to look him over. “Are you okay? What happened to the bear?”

“I’m fine. The bear is dead. What do we do for father?”

“Get some fresh water from the well.”

Grimory ran outside to fill a pail with water and run it back inside. Runi was looking over all the wounds, determining which were the most pressing. She had Grimory press cloths into a wound as she took out her sewing kit and set to work stitching the man’s abdomen.

“You can ride to Southshore and fetch us a healer, right?” she asked, not looking up from what she was doing. When she received no reply, Runi’s eyes locked on their son, crying and staring at his father’s face. “Grimory? Can you do it?”

“Will he be okay?”

She pursed her lips and went back to sewing closed as many wounds as she could. Once the worst of them had been taken care of, she sent Grimory to the human shore town at a gallop. The boy rode with his jaw squared, determined to remain strong for his father. When he arrived, covered in blood still, citizens rushed to help.

“I need a healer!” he shouted. “A bear attacked my father!”

Moments later, a woman in a blue dress, riding on a black mare, emerged from a stable. “Lead the way, boy.”

They rode at full gallop. When Tempest’s breathing grew labored, she pulled him onto the saddle in front of her and they continued, leaving his horse trotting slowly after, exhausted but determined to get home. When they arrived at the farmhouse, Runi was sitting on the porch, knees to her chest and bloody fingers clasped together over her bowed head.

Grimory ran over with the priestess. “Mother! I’ve brought a healer!”

Runi’s head snapped up as though she’d been woken from slumber. She seemed dazed, but pushed to her feet. “Stay out here, Grimory.” With that, she led the human inside and shut the door.

The quel’dorei sat on the porch, staring at his hands and the blood staining his long sleeves. A teardrop landed in his palm as he resumed crying. A grunting caused him to look up—his father’s steed had made it home. The boy stood and took the reins, then those of the black mare. He led them to a watering trough beside a hitching post, then set to taking the saddle from Tempest.

Hours later, the human exited the house and strode to where Grimory stood, brushing the mare’s black coat to keep himself busy. She gave him a subdued smile, set a hand on his shoulder, and mounted her horse to ride away. He frowned at the front door, afraid to go inside.

~ * ~

Months later, Grimory stared out at the field beyond the farm, a piece of straw poking from between his lips.

“Where’d you learn a terrible habit like that?”

“My father.” Grimory laughed and stared up at Kinalo, who also had a piece of straw in his teeth. “Learned a lot of bad habits from him.”

The kaldorei chuckled. “Well, let’s get this cart unloaded before your mother comes outside to drag us by the ears, yeah?”

He laughed again. “Yeah.”

The high elf eyed the thin scars that had remained on his father’s arms after the healing. They didn’t bother the night elf, though. The most notable difference in the man was that he told his wife and son he loved them a lot more often; he didn’t seem to want to take even a second for granted.

Grimory watched his father working, his brow furrowed. _One day I’ll be strong, too. And I’ll protect those I love, just like him._

The dinner bell rang, and the two closed up the barn and rushed back to the farmhouse.


End file.
